Building structure comprising collapsible building units filled in situ with concrete



. 2, 1969 c. H. DAVIDSON BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING COLLAPSIBLEBUILDING UNITS FILLED IN SITU WITH CONCRETE Filed Oct. 18, 1967 UnitedStates Patent 1/66 Int. Cl. E02d 27/32,- E04f 13/04; E04b 2/28 US. Cl.52-493 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention residesbasically in the making of concrete slabs, columns or like buildingunits each of which comprises two self-rigid skins spaced in parallelplanes and united by pliable webs, the space between the skins beingfilled with concrete which is filled in between the skins and imbeds thewebs. Reinforcement may be located between the skins. The inventionincludes a method of making building units, or actual buildingstructures on site.

This invention relates to cast or moulded building units in the natureof wall-slabs or blocks. The invention is applicable to precast units,but its preferred application in which its advantages become moreapparent, is to structure which is cast, formed, or moulded in situ.Whilst concrete is the presently proposed main material, it will be seenthat the invention is quite practicable with poured and settingmaterials other than concrete, such as breeze, cement and fibrecompositions, etc. For brevity such are collectively referred to below,as concrete.

When the invention is applied (as preferred) to the casting or mouldingof structure in situ, it may involve various subordinate elements whichare in themselves inventive features. The invention also includes amethod making building units, or building structures on site.

The invention is more particularly though not necessarily applicable tobuildings which are based on modules, and therefore of which variousdimensions, or multiples and submultiples of basic dimensions, areinvolved. In the nature of the invention it is, however, flexible andadaptable at low cost and it lends itself readily to the inclusion ofvaried individual details such as the leading and placing of electricalor plumbers services. It can be used for (and varied according to) arange of load and stress requirements. It can be used without anyessential variation, for external walls, party walls, or partitionwalls.

According to this invention there is provided a building unitconstituted by two skins in substantially parallel planes, webs offabric interattaching the facing surfaces of the skins, and a filling ofconcrete between the skins and irnbedding the webs. One at least of theskins is preferably a finish skin.

The invention further includes the provision of skins which act asshuttering, interattached by webs of fabric which is wet-resistant paperpreferably with a plurality of holes through it for the flow ofconcrete. In the case of aunit such as a column, which in the end is tobe integrated in a wall, the primary structure is simply two skinscompleted into a rectangular box-section, by having two further oppositesides formed as webs; such will be described with illustration, below.In the case of a beam- 3,481,093 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 "ice likehorizontal unit the skins and webs may be of wetresistant paper or boardandhaving regard to the relatively small vertical dimensionsneed not beperforated.

In this specification the word fabric is used, again for brevity, in avery general way. It is intended to embrace paper, paper-board, felt,woven textile, netting, wiremesh or lattice, perforated sheets (ofsuificient flexibility for the purpose to be seen later and being suchas to permit flow of concrete in pouring), and not to exclude any othermaterial which will comply with the requirements which will becomeevident. It is, therefore, sheet or sheetlike material which issufficiently pliable to afford such fiexure of the webs as to enable thetwo skins to lie closed up together (with the webs between them) and tobe moved to their fully spaced-apart condition. Such fiexure may,obviously, be hinge-like as 'between skin and web, or may beattributable to the bending or folding of the webs in their length.Clearly one such material may be preferable to another in a given case;we prefer, for example, to use wet-strong paper or cardboard with largeperforations, for in situ party-wall construction. In a different case,however, it may be better to use a wire mesh which when imbedded in theconcrete, constitutes reinforcement.

It is further to be understood that the word skin is used throughout, todenote a sheet of self-rigid and relatively strong material such ashardboard, plasterboard, plyboard, or the like with sufficient strengthand wet-resistance as to act as shuttering; and by finish skin is meant,a skin of which the outer (finally exposed) surface presents the finishrequired by the builder. Thus for a party wall, the skin may be ofhardboard, subsequently to be painted or papered; and an outside wallmay have its outside skin a finish skin such that its outer surface willbe weather-resistant-for example it may be a metal-surfaced hardboard.In every case, the skin is such that its inner surface is compatiblewith the attachment thereto of the fabric used.

A building unit, or where relevant a building structure, referred toherein means a slab, panel, block, pillar, complete wall or shell, orother component which is either preformed and joined on site or is castor moulded in situ.

According further to the invention, reinforcing meshes may be imbeddedin the concrete having been placed before pouring, passing through theholes in the webs, or between webs. Moreover, fittings for theattachment of building units to further units or components (floors,outside walls, frames, stairs, etc.) may be provided in the form ofU-channel section metal brackets drilled for screws or bolts, and sodimensioned that they fit nicely between the inner surfaces of the skinsand lodge there, being then secured by the poured concrete.

Ducts, conduits, encastred fittings and the like for electrical orplumbing services, can be placed appropriately before pouring, andbrought out through the existing-cast skins at the appropriatepositions. Holes made for light-switches, for example, can be made inthe finish skin and marked oif with paper before pouring.

The invention further includes a formation of the shutter and webassemblies enabling these to be put together to form a single large unitsuch as a wall, prior to pouring; such will be illustrated.

The invention includes a method of building construction, in which aunit is formed by placing two skins, interattached spacedly by aplurality of fabric webs, to

be used as in situ shuttering and the space between them is filled bypouring concrete thereinto, and the concrete having set the webs and atleast one of the skins is left integral with the so-former unit. Suchmethod may be elaborated by including the use of any or all of thearticles of manufacture which are stated herein to be features of theinvention.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate it by way of example. In these drawings, thefigure is an isometric view of a construction according to theinvention, in somewhat separated form, with the separated partspositioned poised for joining together. The example chosen is that of aparty-Wall, having two finish skins. In this example, it is shown howthe skeleton of a slab or panel is joined to another so as ultimately toform a continuous wall. It is to be understood that the individual slabor panel could be, if required, precast as a unit and brought to thesite subsequently to be joined to the neighbouring components.

In convenient sizes, say 8'0 by 4'0", two skins 1 and 2 are shown. Eachof these is a standard sheet of hardboard, the finish surface beingoutside. The skins 1 and 2 are interattached, with a uniform maximumspace between them of, say, 8" width, by webs 3. Each Web is formed ofwet-resistant cardboard, or strong paper, and is twice bent to form aright Z section, the flanges 3A being firmly stuck by adhesive (and ifrequired stapling) to the inner faces of the skins 1 and 2. The webs 3have cut in them relatively large and closely-pitched holes 3B, such asto allow the free flow of concrete throughout the space or cavitybetween the skins 1 and 2. As seen, the webs 3 are of length equal tothe skins, but they are so placed breadthwise that, at one edge of skin1 (at 3C) and the opposite edge of skin 2 (at 3D) there is left aprojecting edge or selvedge of web material. This is removed if the edgeof the unit as a whole is to meet another unit as at T, but where oneshutter or assembly is to be joined to another, these edges serve auseful purpose in closing and sealing what might be a gap. Thus, theedge 3C tucks inside the neighbouring skin 1 (right of the figure) whenthe shuttering is assembled, and the corresponding edge SD of the secondskin 2, not visible in the drawing, correspondingly tucks inside thefirst skin 1.

Where two panel elements are to join along the vertical, as illustrated,a column-like shuttering element is provided. This is a box-section ofcardboard having opposite walls 4 and 5, all four walls being holed asshown. The external dimensions of the section are such that the walls 4extend across the inter-skin space allowing for the thickness of webflanges, and the walls 5 extend to the spacing-distance of the webs 3.Therefore, two panels of shuttering can be brought together and arekeyed up their vertical joint by this connector unit; and this joiningof panel units extends over the whole length of the required wall. Whenconcrete is poured it fills the whole wall, the holes in the Webs andthe walls 4 permitting this. The finished wall has the skins, webs, andconnector unit virtually integrated. If only one finish skin isrequired, then skin 1 or 2 (whichever is the selection) has theappropriate exposed surface, whilst the other skin may be removed, aftersetting, or simply be regarded as expendable.

Now, the foregoing has given us a wall as such, but consideration mustbe given to its practical inclusion in a building. To this end there areprovided, at required locations, metal attachment fittings. These arestandardised, and each is a rectangular channel-section bracket having aweb 6 and flanges 7. In the web 6 are holes for dowels or bolts such as6A. The dimensions of these brackets are such that the overall size,over the flanges 7, corresponds to the spacing of the skins 1 and 2.Each bracket can therefore be located between the skins and the flanges7 become cast into the concrete;

or if it be required, a bracket can be secured to the concrete by dowelsthrough its holes with its flanges 7 upstanding to mate with anotherelement or for the attachment of some further fitting (such as adoorframe) The footing or foundation of the party wall above discussedmay, for example, be a groundbeam shown generally as a preformed elementat 9, to which brackets are attached at intervals by dowels 6A, thesebrackets being inserted into the inter-skin space between skins 1 and 2of the shutter unit which is placed on the beam 9.

At the top of the wall it is envisaged that a pre-manufactured floor isprovided having a timber edge joist 10. Through bolts 11 are provided,to attach the floor joist 10 to the corresponding joist of the adjoininghouse or room (not shown). The joist such as 10, may rest on the topedge of the party wall, or be secured by the bolts 11 being passedthrough a still further shutter element, seen at the top of the drawing.

This further element comprises two skins 12, 13, and webs 14, all verylike the earlier element, but in this case because the element is ofcomparatively little depth, no holes are provided in the webs 14.Otherwise, these elements can be made by assembling skin and webs andthen cutting the assembly (e.g. sawing it) into appropriate long andshallow elements as shown. Such an element may be placed immediatelyupon the panel element or separated, and its purpose is to provide aninfill element which can be positioned and poured after theabove-described work has been done, and it can be positioned and pouredafter floors have been positioned and secured.

The construction above described offers two further advantages not yetmentioned. One is that each shutter ing element can be packed flat fortransport, and opened up at the site. Another is that the spacingbetween the skins, and therefore the wall thickness, can be selectedwithin the limit of the maximum permitted by the webs. Thus not only cansmall adjustments be made in the course of building, but the sameelement could if required be used (for example) for a 4" wall as for an8" wall, subject to trimming or filling in the skins at their verticalmargins.

The webs need not, however, be in the fiat form shown; they may bearranged as a continuous corrugated section with the nodes secured tothe skins, or in zig-zag lattice section. They may be of highly porousfabric or string net; and if of inherently combustible material, theymay be impregnated to render them nonflammable.

In the forming of ducting or conduiting, paper tubing may be used, forexample secured to the inner surface of a skin by dabs of adhesive, orpassing through holes 3B.

It will be clear that, although from one aspect the invention isconcerned with a highly standardised or modular type of construction, itis in fact fairly flexible in application.

I claim:

1. A building structure comprising at least one pair of building unitseach having two spaced skins in substantially parallel planes,collapsible substantially parallel webs of perforated wet-strong fabricreadily pervious to poured concrete interattaching the facing surfacesof said skins whereby the webs previously collapsed to bring theparallel skins into juxtaposition for ease of transporting the unit maybe extended at a building site to determine the distance between theskins and therefore the thickness of the unit, a filling of concretebetween the skins and embedding the extended webs, said skins definingtwo opposite surfaces of a rectangular section of which a further twoopposite surfaces are defined by two of said webs, with each web beinghingedly attached at each of its ends to the associated adjacent skins;one of said Webs of one unit having a flat part extending beyond thenearest edge of the skin to which the web is attached, said flat partbeing attached to an adjacent skin of the other unit; said units beingarranged edge-to-edge with the webs upright and with an interposedrectangular boxsection column of perforated fabric extending between theinner surfaces of the skins of the two units and filled With concreteintegral with the concrete of the two units; said units being supportedupon a footing having at least one channel-section element fixedthereto, said element fitting between the skins of each unit and securedto the unit by being embedded in the concrete filling thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stolz 52423 Slowinski 52618 Denny52426 Altschuler 52427 Sell 52426 Raynes 52585 HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

